Preparation Continues for International Tourism Forum “Travel HUB “Commonwealth”

A press conference dedicated to the upcoming forum and the Fourth Belarusian-Russian Tourism Congress was held in Saint Petersburg. The events will take place in Minsk as part of the “Great Tourism Week.”

According to Head of the Congress Activities Department of the Secretariat of the IPA CIS Council, Project Manager of Travel HUB “Commonwealth” Yulia Zaykova, the integration of platforms will help consolidate the efforts of authorities, business, and industry associations to implement joint initiatives and strengthen cooperation in tourism and the creative economy.

Chair of the Board of the Republican Union of the Tourism Industry Filipp Gulyy confirmed strong demand for such integration events among industry professionals. The central event will be the plenary session “Tourism Industry in CIS Member Nations: Current Development Tasks.”

The forum’s business programme includes round tables organized in partnership with the National Center for Historical Memory under the President of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, and the “Roszapovedcenter” of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation.

Deputy Director of “Roszapovedcenter” Maria Kulikova announced a session on innovative technologies in ecotourism. Participants will discuss the digitalization of services in specially protected natural areas, the use of artificial intelligence to monitor tourist flows, and safety issues in active tourism.

Chair of the Committee for Tourism of Saint Petersburg Evgeny Pankevich stated that participants and guests of the tourism congress will be presented with the project “Petersburg Style Tourism.”

Head of the Rural Tourism Development Department of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation Andrey Tutarikov spoke about the agritourism session, which will include presentations by regulators, experts, and project developers in rural tourism.

Head of the National Center for Historical Memory under the President of the Russian Federation Elena Malysheva noted that within the framework of the forum, a round table “Patriotic Tourism Cooperation CIS Member Nations Preservation Memory” will be held at the Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War.

Participants will discuss the creation of an interstate framework for developing this area and the establishment of cross-border routes linking memorial sites in Belarus and Russia. The discussion is expected to result in the adoption of the document “Principles Development of Patriotic Tourism in CIS Countries.”

The forum is organized by the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS. The business programme is available on the official website https://www.travelhubforum.com/program, and registration is open online https://expodat.by/onlinereg/congress-rsti-v2?lang=ru